Husking unit with ear aligner for corn pickers



May 4, 1954 J. l.. AASLAND 2,677,377

HUSKING UNIT WITH EAR ALIGNER FOR CORN PICKERS Filed Deo. 7, 1951' 3 Sheets-Sheet l May 4, 1954 J. L ASLAN'D v2`,6"17!,Z-i`ft7=7 HUSKING UNIT WITH EAR ALIGNER FOR CORN PICKERS J laaslalnd/ I PML C9. IOW@ May 4, 1954 J. L AASLAND 2,677,377' Hrsxmc; uNI'T WITH EAR ALIGNER FOR CORN PIcxEns Filed Dec. 7, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I DZOI. Jofm .l'feaaiamt Patented May 4, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE HUSKING'UNIT ALIGN-ER FOR;v CORNA PICKERS John-L.- Aasland, Moline, Ill.,V assigner. to International'Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Applica-tionfeceinb'er 7, 1951,.SerialNo'.v260,52z7

4 Claims.

upon theY condition of; the crop,. the size of thev earsf of corn and` the particular husking means employed todo the husk` removing.` rEhe usual methodzoi. removing corn husks is by the utilization ofa pair of(A cooperative rolls which are adaptedito grasp by pinching the husk material and pulling.. the;` husks throughV the juncture between the cooperative; rolls. These rolls used for husking. have been made with" numerous, surface materialsandwith different forms ofy surfac'econformations; in` an eiort to increase the husking ability-'of thezrolls. Under certain conditionsY the huskmaterialis' easily grasped bythe cooperative husking rolls, whereasiunder other conditions'lthe husks present such a smooth surface to the rolls thateit is diicultior the roll surfaces lto-graspl the. husks. One important requirementin'aghuski ingr. unit is that the ears of corn' tobey husked` havetheir. longitudinal'axes parallel tothe longitudinalfr axes of the cooperative husk. stripping.

the provision of a husking unit for corn pickers having two pairs of cooperative husking rollsand means for dividing ears of corn delivered thereto into two portions and for delivering one portion of the ears of corn to one pair of rollsand the remaining portion of the divided ears ofy corn to the other pair of husking rolls.

Another and further important object of this invention is to` supply a husking unit for corn pickers with a single conveyor mechanism for dividing the'incoming ears of corn into two por'- tions for delivery to separate cooperative huskingrolls,

Still anotherimportant object of thisy invention have beenV The degree of success in effecting re-y 2l' is to provide an ear. hold-down means for holding the ears ofcorn down against the'cooperative husking rolls.

Another andstill further important object of1 this invention is theprovision of a single con-- veyor chain performing tlie'several functions of carrying ears` of corn andf aligning them in alongitudinalmanner, delivering the ears to co# operative husking rolls and' simultaneously re-l siliently holding theears down-against the-husking rolls during the husking'operation.

A further object of this-invention isy to provide a stationary partition disposed over a single conveyor means whereby ears of corn dischargedonto# the huskin'g unitvwill-he-` divided in-to two relatively narrow portions andthe ears-aligned ina longitudinalV manner for delivery to separate pairs of cooperating'huskingrolls Other and'urther important objects of this'inventionwillxbeoome apparent from the disclosuresv in:y the following speciiicationv and: accompanying-r drawings;

In'the drawings:

Figa 1 is a sideelevationalview of a portion-ofav oor-npioker having thehusking unit of this in ventionmountedfthereon.

Fig. Zzisa sectional view't'aken on the line 2--2C of Fgflf.

Fig. 3ds a topplan'view vof the device asshown inligs.` 1 and-21.

As shown` in theY drawings, the reference numeral.` it indicates generally acorn picker having a-rearwardly extending-delivery spout l-I- for discharging snapped-ears-into a' husk-ing unitvlv2. The corn.y picker lili isi the type adaptedv to be mounted on ansagricultural tractor whereby the implement maytraverse aiieldof standingy corn and v strip or otherwise removey thev ears of; corn.` from the stalks.r andf deliver thenij through the discharge spout it tof the husking mechanism' shownat i2;

The huskihg unit i2' comprisesV a housing i3'y and: conveyor chain? HE- mounted thereiny for endless movement about spaced apart-.fsprockets |551 if andv Il; Thesef'sprockets i5; I5 andf I1' areiniounted4 respectively onshafts le; l=9 and-i 2U; rIfhe'shafts ISandlfare journalledlforrotationy withinithe housing I3:-of1the huskingunit I2. The

shaftv 26; isl carriedy forT journalledf rotation oni a1 bracket 2r which is capable of limited sliding' movementwithin thehousing-,r2 i3. The forward`A end of; the bracket 2r is provided with allongii` anchored at to the housing I3 and to exert a downward and lateral thrust at the attaching point 23 of the spring element 24 to the bracket 2 I. Thus the shaft 20 and its unitary sprocket I1 is urged downwardly and laterally away from the sprockets I5 and I8, thus maintaining the conveyor chain I4 constantly under tension.

The husking unit further includes an upper ear corn-receiving bed 21 the floor of which is dened by the upper flight of the conveyor chain I4 and more particularly that portion of the conveyor chain lying between the sprockets I5 and I6. As best shown in Fig. 3, the conveyor chain I4 extends entirely across the length of the husking unit I2 and as indicated by the arrow 28 on the sprocket I5 and shaft I8, the conveyor chain moves in a direction laterally outwardly from the center of the corn picker.

The second important part of the husking unit I2 comprises the lower husking bed 29 lying beneath the lower flight of the conveyor chain I4. Two pairs of cooperative husking rolls are journally mounted within the housing I2 and all in the same plane which is disposed on an incline from a high position on the outside of the machine to a lower position centrally of the corn picker. These rolls are designated by the numerals 38, 3|, 32 and 33. In order that the lower flight of the conveyor chain I4 runs substantially parallel to the inclination of the rolls 38, 3|, 32 and 33, a curved guide element 34 is carried on the housing I3 and maintains the portion of the conveyor chain I4 nearest the sprocket I5 extended downwardly so that the conveyor chain I4 does not run in a straight line between the sprockets I5 and I1. As the ears of corn are dropped onto the upper bed 21 of the husking unit, they are divided fore and aft by a dividing partition member 35. The partition defines a forward portion 36 of the upper bed 21 and a rearward portion 31 of the upper bed 21 of the husking unit I2. The partition includes a substantially horizontally disposed rod or rail 38 running laterally outwardly of the husking unit. The inner end of the rod 38 has a downwardly bent portion 39 which is anchored at 40 to a frame 4I carrying the husking unit of this invention on the rearward end of a corn picker. The lateral outward extension of the rod 38 comprises an upwardly bent portion 42 located adjacent the outer edge of the sprocket I5. A depending sheet 43 is carried by the upwardly bent portion 42 of the rod 38 and extends outwardly and thence downwardly in the form of a iinger 44 beneath the sprocket I5 and the lower ilight of the conveyor chain I4.

The conveyor chain I4 is provided with cross slats 45 and paddles 46. The paddles 46 are alternately spaced forwardly and rearwardly of the division member 38. The alternate spacing of the paddles 48 to the front and rear of the division member 38 transforms the single conveyor running laterally outwardly in the bed 21 into separate means for conveying ears of corn which are dropped onto the bed 21 from the discharge spout II of the corn picker. The division member 38 divides the incoming ears of corn into two portions, that is, the ears of corn that are carried by the forwardly disposed part of the conveyor I4 on the side 36 of the division member 38, and those ears which are carried by the rearwardly disposed portion of the conveyor I4 within the portion 31 of the bed 21. One end of an ear of corn drops onto the division member 38 and the other end lays on the chain conveyor I4. The intermittently spaced paddle members 48 will cause the end of the conveyor to be moved laterally outwardly and the rear portion of the ear of corn lying on the division member 38 will be pulled over on one side of the conveyor I4. The length of the bed portions 33 and 31 is sufciently short or narrow so that a normal or average length ear of corn cannot lie lengthwise of the corn picking machine on the transversely running conveyor I4. It is therefore obvious that the narrow conveyor portions and the intermittently spaced paddles combine to align the ears of corn delivered thereto in a transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal travel of the corn picker or longitudinally of the direction of movement of the chain conveyor I4. The division member 38 and particularly the sheet partition portion 43 and its inwardly extending finger portion 44 prevents the intermixing of ears of corn from one portion of the conveyor I4 to the other.

f The forward portion 43 of the upper bed 21 is adapted to deliver aligned ears of corn to the cooperative inwardly and downwardly rotating husking rolls 33 and 3I, whereas the rearward portion 31 of the upper bed 21 is adapted to deliver aligned ears of corn to the inwardly and downwardly rotating pair of husking rolls 32 and 33. The ears of corn are thus fed to the lower husking bed 29 in a direction longitudinally of the axes of the pairs of cooperative rolls 3|] and 3 I, and 32 and 33. The alternately disposed paddles 46 positioned forwardly and rearwardly of the division member 38 perform the function of delivering the ears of corn laterally outwardly, as well as aligning and dislodging any cross ears in the upper bed 21, and simultaneously acts to hold the ears of corn for each of the pairs of rolls 38 and 3l, and 32 and 33 down onto those pairs of rolls and particularly the junction therebetween for the purpose of effecting a husking of the ears of corn that are delivered to this husking unit. The cooperative husking rolls 30 and 3l and 32 and 33 are adapted to pull or otherwise strip the husks from the ears of corn and pull them downwardly therebetween whereafter the husks are discharged to the ground and the stripped ears of corn are fed by gravity laterally inwardly toward the center of the corn picker to a wagon elevator 41 which, as best shown in Fig. l, is adapted to convey the snapped and stripped ears of corn upwardly and rearwardly for delivery to a trailing wagon or the like, not shown.

rIhe chain ccnveyor I4 has substantial width and as shown in Fig. 3 is supported at both sides thereof by carrying sprockets. The sprockets shown in Fig, 2 are designated as Nos. l5, IS and Il. For purposes of convenience, the sprockets carrying the other side of the conveyor chain I4 will be designated Ia, 8@ and Ila. The chain conveyor cross slats 45 thus extend between the spaced sides 48 and 43a of the chain conveyor I4. Similarly the spring extension of the sprocket I1 is duplicated for the sprocket Ila and thus the entire conveyor I4 remains uniformly taut over its full surface. The spring extension means for the sprockets I1 and I1a further acts to yield upwardly upon the admission of an excessive number of ears of corn to the lower bed 28 of the husking unit. It is therefore apparent that the husking unit of this invention is capable of continuously receiving a plurality of snapped ears which are divided into two portions by reason of their falling on the receiving conveyor I4 whereupon the ears of corn on both front and rear portions of the conveyor are aligned transversely of menacer" the line ofdrive of the cernY picker by reason of.

they dividing member 38- and. the alternate and; intermittently spacedconveyor paddle.y members' 60 which extendupwardly beyondthe upper edge of? the divider rail 38. The ears thus'. received and aligned are thereafter passed separately to and with their long ends lying` parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pairs of rolls and 3|, and. 32 and 33. down against the bushing rolls. at which time the husks are stripped from the ears and as'previously stated, the stripped ears' are'v delivered. to the wagon elevator l1 and the husks are pulled through and out the bottonrof. thev husking, unit..

In order to eliminate unnecessary trash being` delivered to the lower bed29 of` the. husking. unit, a blower 9 is provided at.. the rear. of. the corn pickerY and centrally thereof. with. laterally ex.- tending discharge spoutsA 55 and. 5I which. are

directed. over the top. beds of spaced husk-ing units. It should be understood that the corny picker of this inventionmay` be a two-row picker wherein` there are spaced apart discharge spouts..

such. as |i, for delivery ci' snapped' ears of` corn atV spaced points rearwardly of the cornpicker. Asbest. shown in Fig. 2I the husking unit |2` is shown on one side of the corn picker and a' portion of a duplicate huslring unit |2a is shown on the'cther side of the longitudinal center line of the corn picker, thusthe blower spouts andA 5i arev adapted to deliver a blast of air over theA upper beds of the huslring units andthroughthe falling ears of corn as they come from the delivery spout of the corn picking unit. Any light trash material will thus be immediately discharged laterally at the side of the. husking unit andwill not be delivered along with the ears to` be hushed. to the lower bed 29 of the husiring unit.

Asbest shown in Fig, l, drive for the various elements of the husking unit of this invention is received from a jackshaft 52 which is journally carried on the corn picker by suitable frame work, not shown. A chain 53 receives its power from a tractor power take-off (not shown). The chain imparts rotational' drive to a sprocket 5t which is keyed or otherwise fastened to a jackshaft 52. The shaft 52 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 55. The shaft 55 is also equipped with sprockets 55 and 59 which rotate therewith. A chain 53 around the sprocket 5G and extends upwardly and rearwardly over a relatively large sprocket 5e mounted on a shaft 50 lying parallel to the jacizshaft 52 and journalled within and beneath the husking unit I2. The idler sprocket 55| is adapted to engage the chain 58 and provide suitable tautness for the chain with resultant drive delivery from the jackshaft 52 to the main drive shaft SQ of the husking unit. The idler sprocket 5| is mounted on a stub shaft 62 carried on the corn picker framework 63. The idler sprocket rotates in the direction of the arrow 64 and similarly the large sprocket 55 of the main husking unit shaft t@ rotates in the direction of the arrow E5.

A chain S5 is driven by the sprocket 57 on the jackshaft 52 and delivers rotational drive rearwardly to conveyor means in the wagon elevator 41 and to the cleaning fan 69. The chain 66 extends around sproclrets 0l and S8. The sprocket 67 is carried on a shaft 60 journalled beneath the wagon elevator d1. The sprocket 5B is carried by the shaft lt which is journalled on the side of the wagon elevator 4l and similarly carries for rotation therewith a relatively large V belt pulley The paddles i5 hold the'` ears'of corn-v 1|. IIi'he chain. 66 engages a fourth. sprocket 12.

which; is mounted on the: main. shaft. 'i3 of thea fan?l G92 ismounted on ashaft 14' having a- VY belt.y

pulley l5? mounted: thereon. A Vl belt 'IHSv is;l car.- ried. aroundthelarge V belt pulley 7| on the: shaft illzandi by; suitable intermediate V belt pulleys 15|.- andil the belt extends aroundthe pulley '|51 for; direct drive ofithecleaning; fan 49. The-- pulley 'z'lf is. mounted on a stub-shaft lfwhich is carredon. the sideA of the-wagon elevator 41 and' similarly the` pulley i8 isoarried on a stubshaf-t` supported on the wagon elevator structure;

The.. main husking unit drive'shaft 60 is shown. infFig. Ztasy including a universal joint 8|- and a; bevel gear 82 for delivery of rotational` drive from: the jack-shaft 52 to=the cooperative huskingrolls.- 3|l;.3|,.32 and'33. A. bevel gear 831s mounted. at the;y lower end of' the husking roll 30: and: is in. engagement with the bevel gear 82 on the shaft 60;. Similarly a spaced-apart bevel gear S4 ontheshaft 60 is. adapted to engage a bevel gear 8.5 for impartingv rotation toa roll 2S of the husking unit I 2a; Asbest shownv in Fig. lr the roll 3s. isdriven inthe direction of the arrow 8l. A spur gear |38-x is mounted. on the othery end of the. rolll 30.` The roll 30: comprises ashaft 89 on which is carried a. bevel,A gear; 83, the husk engaging4 roll portionr 3|] and the' spur gear. 88. The roll shaft 89 is journally mounted for rotation withintheA nousing |--3iof1 the'husking, unit I2. Similarly'the rolls 3|, 32; and-33 are also equippedwithcentral core members or shafts 90, si and 92 respectively: The shaft carries a spurA gear S3 for directem-r gagement with the spur gear 88- of the roll 30;. and thus rotational. drive is imparted from the 1ol1f30fto aV roll 3|. The direct engagement of the spur gears 88 and 93 causes the roll 3|v to rota-te in the direction of the arrow 94, and thus. the: inwardly extending surfaces between the rolls30 and 3| both run downwardly from thetop to bot-- tom, thus providing means for pinching the husks atthe juncturebetween the rolls and stripping the husks by downwardv pulling thereon.v

- The shaft9| carries a spur gear 05 whichengages the spur gear 93 for rotation of the gear Q5. and roll 32 in the direction indicated by the arrow 9B. The shaft 92 is provided with a spur gear 91 and it engages the spur gear 95 with a resultant rotational direction as indicated by the arrow 98. It will thus be seen that the pair of rolls 32 and 33 provide for a downwardly moving surface between the rolls from top to bottom in the same manner as the pair of rolls 30 and 3|.

The spur gear 91 is in engagement with another spur type gear 99 of somewhat larger di-l ameter. The gear 00 is carried on a shaft |00 and the gear and shaft are rotated in the direction of the arrow |0| by reason of the engagement with the spur gear 97. The shaft |00 is journally mounted in the housing I 3 of the husking unit and, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, has a bevel gear |02 spaced laterally inwardly of the large spur gear 99. The bevel gear |02 is in meshing engagement with a bevel gear |03 positioned at right angles thereto and carried on a shaft |04. The shaft |04 is a stub shaft mounted on the side of the husking unit housing I3. A sprocket |05 is mounted on the shaft |04 and rotates simultaneously with the rotation of the bevel gear 03. A chain |06 is adapted to deliver rotational movement from the shaft |04 to the shaft I8 carrying the sprockets I5 and |5a of the conveyor mechanism I 4. The chain |06 extends around the sprocket |05 on the shaft |04 and around a sprocket |07 on the shaft I8. An adjustable chain tightener mechanism is shown at |08 wherein a tightener block |09 is movable toward and away from the chain |06 within an elongated slot IIe in a carrier bracket III. The bracket I I I is fastened to the husking unit housing I3 by means of pulleys or the like I I2 and I I3.

It will thus be seen that herein is provided a husking unit for attachment to a eld traversing corn picker wherein the ears of corn are snapped from the stalks and delivered to the husking unit through a discharge spout I I. The ears of corn drop in an irregular manner onto the top bed 2l of the husking unit, as defined by the upper night of the conveyor I4. The ears are separated into two portions, namely, to the front and rear of the dividing rail 38. The narrowness of each portion of the single conveyor combined with the alternate and intermittent spacing of the paddle flights 46 which extend upwardly above the dividing rail 3S and align the irregularly dropped ears so that they are delivered lengthwise or with their longitudinal axes parallel to the longitudinal axes of the pairs of husking rolls forming the lower bed 29 of the husking unit. The conveyor I4 with its integral paddles 46 act to deliver the ears laterally outwardly across the top of the husking unit and thus downwardly and inwardly over the cooperative husking rolls. `The paddles 66 of the conveyor I hold the ears downwardly against the husking rolls insuring the removal of the husk from the ears of corn. As explained, the lower flight of the conveyor i4 is yieldable upwardly to accommodate various numbers of ears of corn to be husked.

Numerous details of construction may be varied throughout a wide range without departing from the principles disclosed herein, and I therefore do not propose limiting the patent granted hei-een otherwise than as necessitated by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A husking unit comprising a housing, a slatted chain conveyor in said housing, the upper flight of said conveyor dening an upper bed for 4 receiving ears of corn to be husked, cooperative husking rolls in said housing,T defining a lower bed positioned beneath said upper bed a substantial distance, the lower flight of said conveyor spaced above and running longitudinally of said lower bed of husking rolls, said conveyor adapted to receive ears of corn in the upper bed and deliver them to and carry them down and over the lower bed, a rail divider member' disposed above said conveyor in the upper bed and extending longitudinally of the conveyor whereby the conveyor and upper bed are effectively divided into two corn receiving portions, and a partition forming a continuation of said rail divider member and extending around the end of the conveyor from the upper bedto the lower bed.

2. A device as set forth in claim l in which the width of each portion of the conveyor and upper bed is less than the average length of ear of corn.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which relatively narrow intermittently spaced paddles are provided for said conveyor, said paddles alternately positioned on one side of said rail divider member and the other side of said rail divider member whereby ears of corn delivered to said upper bed and lying across said rail divider member are definitely forced in either of the portions of the upper bed and disposed longitudinally of said conveyor.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 `in which there are two pairs of cooperative husking rolls, and one pair of said cooperative husking rolls being in alignment with one of the portions of said upper bed.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 584,889 Packer June 22, 1897 750,642 Hall Jan. 26, 1904 754,158 Pitkin Mar. 8, 1904 768,166 Barnard Aug. 23, 1904 808,264 Vandegrift Dec. 26, 1905 915,934 Butler et al Mar. 23, 1909 1,121,938 Morral Dec. 22, 1914 2,080,717 Hitchcock May 18, 1937 

